1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to housing constructions for rack mounted electronic equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to audio equipment featuring a unique and convenient method of mounting within an audio rack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional construction of housings for rack mounted electronic equipment, such as audio equipment like audio amplifiers, generally comprises a rectangular sheet metal box formed from portions of bent sheet metal. Typically, these housings have “rack ears” permanently mounted thereon. The rack ears can be adjustable with respect to the housing itself, and engage mounting positions in a rack, which thereby allows them to be mounted at various locations in the rack. Typical of such constructions is that disclosed by Carbonneau and Kibler in U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,900 in which an adjustable rack mounting system for a data storage chassis is described.
Other mounting systems, which have been suggested in the art, including that of O'Sullivan and Farrell in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,244 in which a disk drive case for a computer having a pivoting hook is described. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,545, Happak and Whittman disclose a housing having lateral depressions to accommodate guide elements for sliding the housing into a rack. Other similar mounting structures are shown by Sisk, Shapiro, Vesciglio, and Watkin in U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,532 and Suzuki in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,136. Although each of these patents describe differing apparatus for mounting electronic equipment in a rack or related structure, none provide the flexibility and adaptability sought after in the art.
What is desired, therefore, is a rack mounting system for electronic equipment, especially audio equipment, which provides increased flexibility in mounting the equipment in a rack. In addition, because of the thermal demands of professional audio equipment, a rack mounting system which permits greater thermal dissipation from the equipment is also highly desired.